Top 10 Alt-country bands

maybe the most obviously overlooked and most "alt" of all.. Neil Young.

Another one that deserves mention is Junior Gone Wild. They played country inflected music with rock n roll energy and a sometimes very funny lyrical take on "the morality play" that informs a lot of Louvin Brothers inspired country music.

I agree with the Byrds and Jayhawks, great bands. I ended up with a good many JL Lewis albums- Jimmy Swaggart's cousin I think, piano playing fool!

I have to mention The Everly Brothers, from whom lots of Bands and Groups (The Beatles merely copied the brothers and Buddy Holly), including Alt. Country ones, got their harmony formula. Of course, the brothers got their harmony from the old Bluegrass guys like The Louvin Brothers (as just mentioned by the always-on-target Marty) and The Carter Family. Around the time The Byrds and others were moving into Country, The Everly Brothers put out their "Roots" album, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band put out their influential "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album, both studied by the younger guys coming up.

Gram Parson!